Restoration of former parish councils to come after municipal elections this autumn
The contentious issue of restoring parish councils merged in a cost-cutting measure imposed during Portugal’s ‘bailout years’ has finally been settled by president Marcelo.
The country’s head of state has promulgated the decree (which he initially vetoed), with the warning that the break-up of the current status quo is not permitted six months before elections.
Iniciativa Liberal, which describes the plan as “a terrible idea”, has said it is intent on fighting this new law, but the possibility now seems slim as the president has signed the decree through before hard and fast decisions on the date of new elections have been made.
Says the note on the official site of the presidency: “Notwithstanding the provisions of Article 15, paragraph 1, of Law no. 39/2021, of June 24, which stipulates that ‘The creation of parishes is not permitted during the six-month period immediately preceding the date set for the holding of any elections at national level’, the President of the Republic promulgated, as he is required by Article 136, paragraph 2, of the Constitution, decree of the Assembly of the Republic no. 37/XVI, of January 17, 2025, on ‘Reinstatement of parishes aggregated by Law no. 1-A/2013, of January 28”.
In the text of the enactment, the President also recalls that he vetoed this diploma on February 12 and that it “was confirmed by the Assembly of the Republic on March 6, 2025, by an absolute majority of deputies in effective office”.
Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa vetoed the diploma because he had doubts about the transparency of the process and the ability to apply the ‘new map’ in time for the next local elections, scheduled for the end of September/ beginning of October.
This last question has now been settling by the wording of the decree, which says the changes will only come after the local elections.
The diploma thus ensures the break-up of 135 unions into 302 separate parishes.
Just like in January, when the diploma was approved for the first time, the PSD, PS, PCP, BE, Livre and PAN voted in favor.
The 2013 administrative reform reduced 1,168 parishes on the mainland, from 4,260 to the current 3,092, on imposition of the ‘troika’ of bailout lenders: the European Commission, the European Central Bank and the International Monetary Fund.
For the Algarve, the new law means the unlocking of the ‘unions’ between Conceição and Estoi in the municipality of Faro, Bensafrim and Barão de São João, municipality of Lagos, Querença, Tor and Benafim (Loulé), Moncarapacho and Fuseta (Olhão), Alcantarilha and Pêra (Silves), Algoz and Tunes (also in Silves), Luz de Tavira and Santo Estevão (Tavira), Conceição and Cabanas de Tavira (also in Tavira). ND
